Nintendophiles 07.01.09: Kingdom Hearts Wii, Dead Space, No More Heroes 2
Posted by Theo Fraser on 07.01.2009
Nintendophiles keeps you up to date with all the latest Nintendo news, from Kingdom Hearts possibly coming to the Wii, a new playable character joining Travis Touchdown in No More Heroes 2, EA’s risk-taking with Dead Space: Extraction, as well as a quick look at how Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles has progressed recently. Come on inside and enjoy the fun!
Hello! As I write this, I'm having to peel myself off my laptop with every stroke of the keyboard as its so frickin' hot over here in the South West of England. I may be forced to write in the nude if this carries on. Before we dwell on that image any longer, let's move swiftly along to the week's Tidbit News!
~Doom Resurrection originally planned for the Wii. Now developed for the iPhone, iD Software's Doom Resurrection was initially pitched as some kind of Wii project, quite possibly as a WiiWare title. No reason was given as to why it went to iPhone in the end, but as it's a ‘guided experience' (as opposed to an on-rails title), perhaps it was deemed a little too close in likeness to Dead Space: Extraction.
~Capcom and Square Enix prepping new games. Both companies have recently posted teaser sites with countdowns etc in the run up to revealing their new projects. The Squeenix title apparently has something to do with dragons and the number ‘4'. No idea what that's all about. Onimusha is looking likely for the Capcom title, so that probably won't have anything to do with Wii, but we'll see.
Kingdom Hearts on Wii a possibility
Credit: Heart Station
Little has been heard on Kingdom Hearts III for quite some time, but since the Japanese release of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days on the Nintendo DS back in May, the KH development team have turned their attention to future projects, and a new instalment in the series, perhaps even KH3 itself, could be winging its way to the Wii in the not too distant future.
It was Nintendo who originally approached Square Enix for a new handheld RPG , and KH 358/2 Days was Squeenix's resulting offer. Series creator Tetsuya Nomura said that the next chapter in the Kingdom Hearts franchise won't necessarily be Kingdom Hearts III, yet "it won't be a side story, but an authentic addition."
Clearly that's no direct confirmation that a Wii version is being considered, but I wouldn't have thought they'd place an ‘authentic addition' to the series on a handheld format. Plus, it sounds as if Square Enix would happily oblige if Nintendo asked them to develop one. With the right amount of encouragement, the possibility could become a reality. I'd wager they'll wait to see how 358/2 Days performs in Western territories before deciding on whether or not a Wii iteration would be viable. So if you want to see Organization XIII and co. on the Wii, you better slap down a few pre-orders for the DS title. Reviews of the Japanese version have been incredibly positive, so if there's any justice in the world it'll sell fantastically anyway. Here's hoping, at least!
Dead Space: Extraction a ‘risk'
Credit: Nintendo Dpad
With there still being somewhat of a gap in the market for mature titles on the Wii, one might think any half-decent offering would sell by the bucketload. Judging by sales of MadWorld and House of the Dead: Overkill thus far, however, it would appear that there are still some reservations. Obviously there are a ton of other factors involved (neither MadWorld or Overkill have that ‘must-buy/killer-app' tag applied to them), but the cynics and pessimists out there would have you believe there simply is no extended audience for mature titles on the Wii. Bearing this in mind, EA Games president Frank Gibeau talks about the company taking a risk with the development of Dead Space: Extraction, hoping to provide the title that ultimately acts as the starting block for the mature market on Wii and solidifies Nintendo's home console as a viable platform for such games.
Frank Gibeau:Well, there has been some M-rated high-quality games released recently on Wii that we've taken note of, and that's why I think Dead Space: Extraction is a gamble. It's a calculated risk. Can a high-quality experience like that that appeals to a more mature audience work on the Wii platform? We spent a lot of research, time, and understanding the customer dynamics of who's actually playing on the Wii, do they own multiple platforms, are there really gamers on the Wii, or is it mainly families and youth? But we think we've found a market on the Wii that would be interested in the Dead Space: Extraction experiment. We're going to take a gamble and build that market. You know, until you try, you don't really know if the hypothesis is correct or not.
It slightly worries me that we're beginning to see a trend of ‘trial run' titles, where their retail performance determines not only if a franchise will return to the Wii but also potentially whether or not an entire genre is catered for. As long as they don't ‘hold back' on development and really put 100% into the titles, we shouldn't have any problems. The relative lack of sales for many of these games is a multi-faceted issue, and part of the problem is Nintendo's unwillingness to promote the right titles. Yes, it's great that the casual market is strong, but Nintendo really need to support some of these third parties with their core gamer offerings and mature titles, in order to ensure the Wii's catalogue remains varied and, above all else, make certain that gamers are aware of these new and exciting titles. Let the market know these games exist, and the market will come to you.
New playable character revealed for No More Heroes 2
Credit: Nintendo Power
Move over Travis Touchdown, you won't be hogging all the limelight to yourself this time round for the No More Heroes sequel. This time, Travis is joined by a female companion, Shinobu (pictured above), who you'll take control of at various parts throughout the adventure. In case you still haven't played the first game (in which case you need to get off your ass and go buy it NOW. Go on. We'll wait.) I've highlighted the spoilerish sections, just so a few of the game's surprises remain for you to discover yourself.
*SPOILER ALERT*: Originally one of the boss characters from the first NMH, Shinobu and her lightning-fast reflexes return, presumably showing her gratitude towards Travis by teaming up with him after he let her live instead of executing her at the end of the boss battle.*END SPOILER ALERT*
This new concept could be really cool, if Shinobu's sections are a complete change of pace from Travis', which they should be if current indications are correct (she supposedly moves a lot faster and has a high jump capability). Also, with two characters confirmed, I can't help but wonder about the possibility of some sort of duelling multiplayer mode. Wishful thinking? Hmph.
SUDA 51 is aiming to include around 50 boss battles for this iteration, so again, having two characters will let you switch things up and ensure the proceedings never get too repetitive. Suda says, "We didn't just want you to be fighting them as the same character again and again. By allowing the player to use a different character we can change up the tempo and offer more surprises."
Also revealed was the fact that Travis is aiming to avenge the death of a particular character from the first game in Desperate Struggle. *SPOILER ALERT* My guess would be Thunder Ryu, who sacrificed himself in one of the latter boss battles against Speed Buster. Although part of me wonders if this is all a mistranslation, as the main plot of NMH2 involves Travis avenging the murder of his best friend (which could be Bishop Sidux, who is shown in the most recent trailer held up at gunpoint by hoodlums. Ooooh, speculation! It's rife with it!) *END SPOILER ALERT*
Rankings make a return, although Travis starts out at ranking #51 this time. In a neat addition to the previous title, lower ranked assassins will try to take you out, sometimes in groups of two or three! Better have your wits about you the whole time as you wander around the Santa Destroy environment.
Again it was made mention that Travis will have a whole host of new wrestling moves as finishers at his disposal, but once again no further details were given. I'm hoping for a Burning Hammer, that would rule. A Package Piledriver wouldn't go amiss either!
So that's it for No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle for the time being. I really want to see what SUDA 51 and co. have done with Santa Destroy this time, after complaints of it being a pretty desolate place last time. I'm also itching to see what kind of jobs are on offer, as I always found them a cool little alternative to all the mayhem and killing. Come on, Suda, don't keep us waiting too long! I'm hoping for those 10 second clips released weekly in the lead up to the originals launch. That'd be awesome.
Darkside Chronicles: Rockfort Island
Seeing as I've been looking a fair bit at mature titles this week, how about we take a look at another up-and-coming adult shooter that is showing signs of surpassing its predecessor in all manners and could well turn out to be something rather special indeed. Of course, I'm talking about Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles, currently scheduled for a US release in the Winter. It's looking beautiful, evident in the opening seconds with Metroid Prime-esque raindrops falling on the camera and a wonderfully grimy atmosphere. And LOLs at the "Long time, no see" quote at the zombie from Steve. Where would the Resi series be without its inappropriately-timed quips and retorts?!
The 411 Games Crew
Mark Salmela's B3yond the Report discusses the recent PSN release of FF7, iD Software/Bethesda connections, Call of Juarez and much more.
Surprise surprise, hardcores complain about the Wii/Nintendo being kiddy but then when someone offers them an M rated bone, they pass on it.
Posted By: HeelHeat (Guest) on June 30, 2009 at 11:23 PM
i cant wait for no more heroes 2,nhm 1 is one of my favorites for the wii.
Posted By: Guest#1915 (Guest) on July 01, 2009 at 08:56 AM
Kingdom Hearts is the worst thing that could happen to the history of video games. I cannot stand it! It is overrated and the fanbase is some of the scariest people out there. Their obsession has gone as far as even becoming attracted to the characters, and that is sick! Might be partly because the game's canon promotes weird crossover junk, screwing with the established backstory. I never really understood the concept of Hearts and Nobodies. I pray to the heavens that Kingdom Hearts III will never be made. I would hate to see characters other then Disney and Final Fantasy star in a Kingdom Hearts game. That is not right! Fans need to shut up and get over the fact that their crossover fantasies will never come true. It annoys me when the fans talk down to anyone who dislikes Kingdom Hearts, even people who are much older then they are when the majority of fans are in their teens. I'm also sick of seeing Kingdom Hearts fanart becoming so popular while high-quality pieces of original art barely get any recognition these days.
The only thing left comforting to know is that Kingdom Hearts will end some day, meaning that it won't be an ongoing series like Final Fantasy was. I know fanbases never die, but sooner or later, it will cool down. A lot. One just has to be patient and keep up.
Posted By: Fox (Guest) on July 01, 2009 at 01:25 PM
You need more DS coverage or something. Kinda feels like you're phoning it in man. Used to be one of my fav columns here. I know the big N hasn't been cranking out a ton of great games, but talk about some NES classics or something.
You never mention the VC and stuff like that.
Posted By: Jake G (Guest) on July 01, 2009 at 06:07 PM
It's not like there's much of interest out new on the DS or the VC...
Posted By: HeelHeat (Guest) on July 01, 2009 at 10:23 PM
Kingdom Hearts is the worst thing that could happen to the history of video games. I cannot stand it! It is overrated and the fanbase is some of the scariest people out there. Their obsession has gone as far as even becoming attracted to the characters, and that is sick! Might be partly because the game's canon promotes weird crossover junk, screwing with the established backstory. I never really understood the concept of Hearts and Nobodies. I pray to the heavens that Kingdom Hearts III will never be made. I would hate to see characters other then Disney and Final Fantasy star in a Kingdom Hearts game. That is not right! Fans need to shut up and get over the fact that their crossover fantasies will never come true. It annoys me when the fans talk down to anyone who dislikes Kingdom Hearts, even people who are much older then they are when the majority of fans are in their teens. I'm also sick of seeing Kingdom Hearts fanart becoming so popular while high-quality pieces of original art barely get any recognition these days.
The only thing left comforting to know is that Kingdom Hearts will end some day, meaning that it won't be an ongoing series like Final Fantasy was. I know fanbases never die, but sooner or later, it will cool down. A lot. One just has to be patient and keep up.
Posted By: Fox (Guest) on July 01, 2009 at 01:25 PM
Someone's not a fan, big deal. Kingdom Hearts is overrated and the fanbase contains several demonic worshippers, but Kingdom Hearts isn't the worst thing to happen to gaming (looking at you Virtual Boy making gamers go blind and causing the death of the creator of the gameboy.)
Kingdom Hearts is one of the few successful crossover series (MvsC, SNKvsCapcom, etc.) and theirs a certain innocence seeing Disney characters interact with Final Fantasy while also creating their own story. I hope Kingdom Hearts 3 is made to close Kingdom Hearts properly.
Posted By: Don't Overreact (Guest) on July 04, 2009 at 02:55 PM
